Old Walden Worcester

[d42jeep]

I showed mine back in post #49. Cool looking tool, though.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8614451&postcount=49
-Don

 

[Arne73]

Walden Worcester 496. I'm not certain about the shape of the handle, its bent.

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[Oldtuleguy]

An old chrome nickel socket

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Walden Worcester 496. I'm not certain about the shape of the handle, its bent.

Very likely the bend is not factory, Arne. Walden called those Offset Socket Wrenches and they had a straight shank. They did make a Connecting Rod Wrench (No. 5810) that had two severe bends in it, just like Mossberg's, to get around an obstruction on a Ford.

Are you sure it's a "6" at the end? I have the 1923 catalog (c/o Tools Archive) and hundreds of pages of Walden ads from hardware store catalogs (c/o four.cycle), and they don't show or list any Offset Socket Wrench with a 496 model number. They show the entire 25xx series (7/16" - 7/8") (see pic for a few I own), a special 494, which is a hammerhead style like yours with a 1/2" opening, and a special 499, with a 9/16" opening. Neither the 494 or the 499 have a bend. Straight shank.

 

[3baygarage]

That wrench looks legit. This 494 here I picked up two weeks ago. 1/2” wrench btw.

This is in the 1922 catalog seen here (sixth page down), posted by Fourcycle.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5532512&postcount=2

but in a 1928 catalog (fifth page down) it’s mistakenly labeled beneath as a...496. That would make it seem there had been a 496 at some point.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5532513&postcount=3

 

[Arne73]

Thanks 3bay
Here are a couple more shots, definitely 496 and the end is finished.
I haven't sized the hex opening yet, I'll report back when I know.

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[3baygarage]

Looks like it might be 5/8? Looks like a 5 on the far right.

 

[Arne73]

It is a 5. Measures about 5/15 tho.

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[JjKk40]

Picked up this sweet 1/2" set recently! Gotta clean up the case and the sockets but its in really good shape.

 

[Provincial]

I picked up a group of Walden T-handle sockets at the Flea Sunday.

2614 short 7/16

2700 long series:
2719 19/32
2720 5/8 (two of these)
2722 11/16
2724 3/4
2725 25/32
2726 13/16
2728 7/8

It turns out that I already have a 2718 (9/16) so the only two sizes I need to complete the set are 7/16 and 1/2 (2714 and 2716).

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice snag. I'll check my orphans.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'll check my orphans.

Ironically, I have a 7/16" and a 1/2" long T-handle, Jock, but they are 1614 and 1616, not 2714 and 2716, and not branded. I posted them in this thread earlier, because the wrenches and the markings look like Walden to me, but I have never been able to figure them out. Early contract production, maybe. They're definitely not Mossberg or Blackhawk. Linked here.

 

[Provincial]

Thanks for looking! It isn't a priority.

 

[LesserSon]

I have a dupe 2716 (1/2”).
I wish I had a 7/16” to bundle, but I don’t.

I don’t have a 2720 (5/8”), if swapping is in the cards.

USPS padded flat rate is $8.55 currently. If you can suggest a more economical package, I’m all ears.
PM me with offer if a single is worth the shipping to you (I understand if it’s not). I have to say, you found that clutch at one sale, seems like a 1/2” wouldn’t be hard to source locally.

Last 2 pics are all the WW I own, to mitigate the mercantile intrusion.
2726(13/16),2718(9/16),2716(1/2) long Tees
5810(5/8) dogleg
3/4 woodhandled brace
1152 1/2dr hingehandle
232 1/2dr 1” 6pt socket
1814 1/2dr 7/16” 12pt socket
1437 (13/16x7/8) DBE
1522 11/16” extra-leverage brace

 

[Provincial]

Pawn shop pick-up for a dollar. Walden Worcester P20 5/8" square drain plug socket.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Very likely the bend is not factory, Arne. Walden called those Offset Socket Wrenches and they had a straight shank. They did make a Connecting Rod Wrench (No. 5810) that had two severe bends in it, just like Mossberg's, to get around an obstruction on a Ford.

Are you sure it's a "6" at the end? I have the 1923 catalog (c/o Tools Archive) and hundreds of pages of Walden ads from hardware store catalogs (c/o four.cycle), and they don't show or list any Offset Socket Wrench with a 496 model number. They show the entire 25xx series (7/16" - 7/8") (see pic for a few I own), a special 494, which is a hammerhead style like yours with a 1/2" opening, and a special 499, with a 9/16" opening. Neither the 494 or the 499 have a bend. Straight shank.

Regarding model numbers: I have frequently encountered tools with incorrect model numbers for the application. Blue Point seemed to experiment with model numbers or change them. An example is the s7551, not found in catalogues but the same as the s9151. Snap-on 2512 wrenches could have one of several combinations of sizes including 11/16”, 3/4”, 13/16”, and 7/8” that I have seen, and with varying offsets. And I have seen model numbers on factory Blue Point wrenches that do not conform to the sizes and configuration of the correct wrench, almost as if the model was pulled off the line and experimented with. I haven’t followed Walden or Blackhawk, but perhaps they acted similarly.

 

[Arne73]

1/4" drive Hammerwrench, no part or model number.

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[bonneyman]

Picked up this sweet 1/2" set recently! Gotta clean up the case and the sockets but its in really good shape.

I snagged a ratchet just like that about 3 months ago. For $1. Was a little tweaked but got it straightened well enough. Some new screws and some heat shrink tubing on the handle - it works!

 

[Arne73]

I started my own thread on this but prefer to show items in their proper "show us your.." threads.
This set sees a lot of use out in my barn. It ws my mom's uncles set. I grew up in a house that reflected that my dad worked for Sears. I learned that Craftsman meant quality and I tended to think of other brands as inferior.
I've learned that nothing could be further from the truth and appreciate the wide variety of manufactures that are out there and the quality items they produce(d)

I added the 4060 ratchet because I didn't like the way the original 4501 is so easily reversed. I tend to choke up on the ratchet and that rotates the big dial on the back.
Other than a broken deep 9/16 socket, it's complete.

As I said, this set gets a lot of use out in the barn.
Late last Fall I needed to pull a sparkplug on my tractor during leaf collection/burning operations. About a week later I went to use a socket and realized the 4060 ratchet and 5/8 socket were MIA.
Yesterday while cleaning up the burn area I found them, right where they probably fell out of my jacket pocket.
The ratchet and socket are currently in a vinegar bath in the ultrasonic cleaner.
I hate losing tools, glad I found these guys..

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[four.cycle]

Here's that Walden Worcester 5/16" hex drive SAE socket set I posted earlier today in the Duro/Indestro thread:

 

[four.cycle]

Private Lugnutz -
This is the Walden Worcester 39120-20 9/32" square drive SAE socket set I was referring to earlier today. I found this one while searching for the blue-box 5/16" hex drive set posted just above.
This one contains only sockets - 12 points and one 1/4" 8-point.
Unfortunately the 5/16" 12-point appears to be pretty well rounded out.
I picked this one up hoping to be able to complete the other one (see next post.)

 

[four.cycle]

Private Lugnutz -
This is the other one, which has a couple more pieces (the drive extension and a sliding T bar), but is missing the 39120-23 Spintite handle and the 1/4" socket is completely rounded out.
Inexplicably, if you compare the contents list carefully, you'll note the set above originally contained all 12-points, but this set included 6-points on the 3/16", 1/4", and 9/32" sockets. (Both sets skip over the 7/32" size.)
As I noted above, I picked up the set above with the intention of cannibalizing it to complete this set, but when I opened it up I discovered they made two versions of this - one with all 12-points and one with 6-points and 12-points.

I believe it's buried in the box in the last photo, but that's just my best guess. I have a lot of boxes like this, and I really have no clue any more what is where. I'll see if I can get to it and get these on their way to you. I am guessing the odds of finding the missing pieces on the east coast will be far better than out here in the hinterlands. BK

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks for jogging my memory, 4.c. I don't think I realized it was a 9/32-dr set until now. When you described what you had years ago, I was picturing bunches of pieces and extras. You should keep that stuff. You only need a few pieces to complete it. I've got nothing here but the empty case, with a label, the double hex version.

 

[four.cycle]

Perhaps, but we don't have "swap meets" anywhere around here at which items like this would be found, and I've scoured Ebay ads for well over two years searching with no results.
Aside from that, I will need to unload this entire mess before this house can be sold - there's no way I'm going to move tons of tools.

 

[MR.X]

I'm late to this, are those Walden 9/32 sets military? 5 digit 39XXX -** numbers and all.

 

[four.cycle]

I would tend to doubt it. I'm guessing 1920's vintage, and we weren't at war for a short period there.
Private Lugnutz is more conversant on military stuff than I am, though. Wait for him to chime in here on this one.

 

[MR.X]

Hi. OK. Reason I ask though is that 39XXX-X or ** shows up on pre war Bonney USN NAF wrenches and others. Also, what caught my eye before the numbers was the deep knurling on the one piece reminded me of the knurling on a couple Walden extensions I have that were part of a toolkit for Warbird Allison V1710 engines in WW2, though the Allison Walden pieces have a different contract numbering system.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The 20s walden midget sockets were unmarked

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...are those Walden 9/32 sets military? 5 digit 39XXX -** numbers and all.

Reason I ask though is that 39XXX-X or ** shows up on pre war Bonney USN NAF wrenches and others. Also, what caught my eye before the numbers was the deep knurling on the one piece reminded me of the knurling on a couple Walden extensions I have that were part of a toolkit for Warbird Allison V1710 engines in WW2, though the Allison Walden pieces have a different contract numbering system.

Very interesting. That would explain why they don't show up in catalogs that I am aware of and why they have a part numbering system that doesn't seem to jibe with the typical Walden formats of that era. But it would be news to me and to the WWII tools collecting community. Meaning, if they are military, they are not known as that or exchanged as that. Maybe because they're USN and because Walden 1/4-drive 41-W-2615 midget sets are so well-known and collected. This is an exciting potential development. I'll do some digging.

EDIT: One note of caution. The sockets do not look like wartime 1/4-drive sockets.

4.c,
I take back what I said. I'll take them!

 

[four.cycle]

I already told you they're yours - I really think your geographic location is going to give you the edge on finding the missing pieces.
On that note: I recently procured a reprint of a 1926 Walden catalog, thinking that set might possibly be in there.
Nada. Nothing even close.
And since I last sent to you that flood of old catalog pages, I've acquired more of the same, and there's nothing in any of those even remotely resembling that 39120-20 set, OR the 5/16" hex drive sets that Oldtuleguy and I both own.
Or.... maybe that #68 "Spintite" set is the 5/16" hex drive set? Note it doesn't mention drive size or anything about square or hex drive:

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I think the set I have is the 68. At the time of the merger a few sets were labeled with a decal, but after that they went with the Walden worcester stamp some with an additional decal that said stevens walden. The best way to date them is the tools themselves.

 

[MR.X]

Very interesting. That would explain why they don't show up in catalogs that I am aware of and why they have a part numbering system that doesn't seem to jibe with the typical Walden formats of that era. But it would be news to me and to the WWII tools collecting community. Meaning, if they are military, they are not known as that or exchanged as that. Maybe because they're USN and because Walden 1/4-drive 41-W-2615 midget sets are so well-known and collected. This is an exciting potential development. I'll do some digging.

EDIT: One note of caution. The sockets do not look like wartime 1/4-drive sockets.

Well IF there is a military connection I would assume it's pre the 1108-1 set and remember that Phil Mfg Co version,... without the sticker right on the box wouldn't look all that wartimey either.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Well IF there is a military connection I would assume it's pre the 1108-1 set and remember that Phil Mfg Co version,...

Where's the lightbulb emoji?! It has the exact same contents (quantity of sockets, sizes, and number of points, quantity and type of handles) as the 1108-1 sets. The 39120-20 sets might be the pre-war version. Or it might be contemporary to the 1108-1 sets but not Aviation Bureau. Could be Ships. Or Dockyards. US Navy Bureaus were just as parochial as Army Signal Corps vs Army Corps of Engineers about things like that.

without the sticker right on the box wouldn't look all that wartimey either.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying it doesn't look military. I was saying that I never considered it to be military because it's just not known as military in the wartime military tools world, so I just always assumed it was some weird commercial set. Now that you've made the connection, its appearance is not un-military at all. Plain tools, green box, etc.

EDIT: By the way, the sockets in the set look less unlike wartime Walden than I first thought. They're not the same. But they're not different enough to think it improbable. The two bands of ribbed knurling looks similar to the two bands of ribbed knurling on the early war sockets. I'll have to dig out some prewar Walden. The tapering on them smacks of earlier.

 

[d42jeep]

There was a socket similarly marked in my new RTEC set. I need to check to see if it’s 1/4” drive.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

MR.X
Please check out my questions to you on the 'small but growing DBE collection' thread.

 

[leg17]

Older WW DBE wrenches. AA dates them 1930's.
The shorties turn up occasionally. Interestingly, I have two versions of the 486.
One is 9/16 x 5/8, and the other is 5/8 x 11/16.

The longer ones seem to be somewhat more 'scarcer'.
Curiously, the sizes are not forged in the 3/8 x 7/16, but have been directly stamped on the wrench. Possibly the numbers got clogged or damaged in the die, or they were backwards or somehow messed up, so they were just ground off and the wrench 'saved'.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I already told you they're yours - I really think your geographic location is going to give you the edge on finding the missing pieces.
On that note: I recently procured a reprint of a 1926 Walden catalog, thinking that set might possibly be in there.
Nada. Nothing even close.
And since I last sent to you that flood of old catalog pages, I've acquired more of the same, and there's nothing in any of those even remotely resembling that 39120-20 set, OR the 5/16" hex drive sets that Oldtuleguy and I both own.
Or.... maybe that #68 "Spintite" set is the 5/16" hex drive set? Note it doesn't mention drive size or anything about square or hex drive:

Aa has a nice example of the 68 set from early 40s

 

[four.cycle]

^ that must be what yours and mine are. yes? no?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I think so. Walden info seems tough to come by. I keep looking for catalogs but they are elusive. For a company that made so many tools for so long they are a bit of a mystery.

 

[four.cycle]

Oldtuleguy-
There are a few early Walden catalog pages HERE:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320732

Private Lugnutz-
found the other set finally.